tim boyd

Thanks Richard...TIM

This subject was referenced in several JoHan ads in Car Model Magazine c. 1967 as "coming soon" but I have never heard anything that metal was actually cut. I even asked Dennis Doty, who was very close to Joe Haenle (sp?) during the early 1970's, and he never saw any evidence of its development during his factory visits. Richard, do you recall in any more detail what Okey said about this subject? Needless to say, a 1934 Packard done to the JoHan Gold Cup series level of detail and fidelity, would have been a favorite with the modeling community and a treasured collectible kit today. A real missed opportunity, for sure. TIM

Without taking up space to thank each of you that commented individually, I really do appreciate the feedback and comments on this build. As I alluded to, not everything turned out exactly the way I wanted, but the overall build theme (yes, it was inspired in part by what our UK and European hot rodding brethren are doing these days) I think was largely achieved. Of course, my hope is that the model, and the commentary that has followed so far, inspires many of you to take up the cause and do your own kitbashes using this basic kit, and to later share your work iwth us here. This is what really charges me up about our hobby and motivates me personally to continue to build models, share them here, and show how to build something similar in the pages of our two excellent model car magazines these days. Cheers...TIM

Danno....thanks for that. The gunmetal metallic HIghboy coupe was the subject of an eight-page how-to in the other model magazine about a year ago, for those that might be interested in building something like it. It also uses the Replicas and Miniatures body, and a "J2"-style early Olds OHV V8 largely from the Revell '50 Olds Custom kit. The interior is heavily kitbashed from parts in that Rat Roaster kit referenced directly above, which also provided the wheels and rear tires. Best regards...TIM

Chris...thanks for noticing. Yeah...I wouldn't have thought of that myself, but it is one of the cool factoids revealed in the feature on four '30 A Chopped Five Window Coupes in the current issue of Rodder's Jpurnal (highly recommended for those that like this building style). It actually was a perfect choice....just had to remove the bottom edges (since the model is channeled instead of Highboy-style), and cut a modest relief for the top of the tranny. Simple and effective. And a good way to use parts from the Rat Roaster kit, which while being a not-great choice for a model kit (IMHO) actually has excellent value as a source for kitbashing other hot rod models. Best regards...TIM

Dennis and Mark...thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I had painted this body about a year ago and quite frankly, I had forgotten that I had painted the '34 Ford Truck grille shell with the project (I remembered it being a Deuce grille shell). I was frankly concerned that it would appear jarring when paired with the upright '30A Coupe body, but I was actually relieved when I did the mockup as I was nearing final assembly. Appreciate hearing it's not just me who thinks it looks good. Dennis...thanks for your other comments on the project....much appreciated. And Mark...thanks also for the comments on the wheels and tires...I had those painted and set aside for this project months ago, but didn't really have any definitive plans to complete the project until the Revell '29A kit came along, with those extra interior parts. Then it pretty much demanded completion! Cheers all....TIM

Thanks.....if you can, be sure to post pix of yours when the get completed. I am really enjoying seeing what everyone is doing with these kits, as I know many of you are too! Cheers...TIM

Mike...the plan was always to add it. I was just saving it to final assembly, after I mounted the windshield and windshield frame. In retrospect, that was a mistake, as it was a royal pain to secure to the body. It took three attempts with Five Minute Epoxy, and it's still not entirely perfect. I should have secured it with CA++ glue prior to painting, which would also have eliminated any chance of it warping due to the automotive paint I used. I am still learning, even after 50 years of building model cars. By the way, for those of you not familiar with Norm's Replica and Miniatures '30A Five Window Coupe, he includes two visors - the stock one shown here and one with large holes drilled in it. He also include both the plain decklid I used here, and the louvered one I used in my earlier build a couple of years ago, of this same body, perched on '32 frame rails. Thanks for your comments/feedback...TIM

Not to mention this one from last year's NSRA Street Rod Nationals North in Kalamzoo, MI....(Bone...this is the car I referenced in response to your email a copy of days ago)..... Cheers....TIM

Luis...that's a WAY cool idea for those door panels!!! TIM

Thanks Gerald...do you know if its an enamel? (For those of you who don't know, Lacquer doesn't work as a basecoat for Alclad (according to the instructions and my own experience), it rubs off when handled). Thanks for the suggestion...TIM . Thanks Gerald for the clarification...TIM

James....yes I am planning to be at the NNL Nats in Toledo this year. I'll be bringing this model and others....but please, anyone planning to attend the NNL Nats who has what would be considered at "traditional hot rod" model, either based on the new Revell kit or any 1920's-1948 kit and built with traditional hot rod design elements, please bring those models and put them on our NNL Nats "Cult Theme" table featuring Traditional Hot Rods. It's just to the left of the magazine photo area along the back wall. Even if you have a hot rod that model doesn''t quite meet the "traditional hot rod" definition but is close, bring it along and put it in the "friends of traditional hot rods" display that will be just to the left of the cult theme. If you are wondering what constitutes a "traditional hot rod", check out this 1/1 scale photo portfolio edited from my earlier coverage of the 2014 Lonestar Rod and Custom Roundup at Austin, TX, and the 2014 and 2015 Cobo Hall Autorama Extreme events. Thanks for asking James...see you there. ..TIM

Completed photos are posted in the "Under G'ass section at this link ).. here's one of them....Thanks for looking, your comments, your suggestions, and your questions....cheers...>TIM .

Thanks Gerald...do you know if its an enamel? (For those of you who don't know, Lacquer doesn't work as a basecoat for Alclad (according to the instructions and my own experience), it rubs off when handled). Thanks for the suggestion...TIM .

As of 9am this morning, I'm calling this one done - essentially. I still have the exhaust header extensions underway (thanks to that bad can of Testors Gloss Black), and I have the full hub cover caps from the Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland Wire Wheel kit ready to add if I deem appropriate later on. but other than that.... There are a few minor workmanship issues I'm not happy with, but that seems to be part and parcel of major kitbashes when you are working to a deadline (in this case, fitting completion of this one for our NNL Nats "Traditional Hot Rod Cult Theme" in a week and a half, with other near term obligations). I also see a few bits of flotsam and the such that need to be brushed away from the surfaces.... The paint is MCW Automotive Finishes 1936 Ford Washington Blue, with Tamiya Flat Clear on top. The engine is from the Revell/Monogram '59 Cadillac Elderado, with all add-on plated accessories from the Revell Cadillac V8 Parts Pack other than the dual air cleaner, which came from the ol' parts box. The interior is comprised of the '29A Highboy Roadster side panels and bench seat, mounted on the extra floorpan (part #13) and extra instrument panel from the Revell '29 A Roadster kit (which are a mostly perfect fit to Norm's '30A Coupe body (hhmmm....). Same Revell '29A Roadster kit provided most of the chassis other than the Halibrand Quick Change Rear and Model A Crossmember, which came from the Revell/Monogram "Street T" (you know, one of the countless reissues of the original Monogram Little T kit). Both front and rear suspensions and frame crossmembers were massaged for a lower ride height/stance. Those tall'n'taller whitewalls and wires came from Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. I used the smaller plated hub covers from the AMT/Lindberg '34 Ford pickup kit mounted in a recessed position in the hubs, which I kind of like, but the R&M of Md. stock hub covers are waiting to be added (as noted above) should I decide to do so at a later date. That same '34 Pickup kit provided the grille and grill shell, fitted to the highboy version radiator from the Revell '29A kit. I did shoot "how-to" pictures on both this one and the '29A on '29 rails ktibash shown earlier, and will eventually prepare a story for publication. Six pictures, including a closeup of the engine compartment, are shown here (start with image #13) Bottom line...the Revell '29A Roadster kit encourages....no....nearly shouts out to be kitbashed in so many different ways. In a message from Ed Sexton yesterday, he mentioned that providing model that encouraged kitbashing was just what Roger and he, as well as the many others inside and externally to Revell that worked to put the kit together, intended with their development efforts. As for me, I just can't wait for you to see what you all do with this kit yourselves. ( For those that missed my first kitbash of the Revell '29A Roadster, see here ). Cheers...TIM

Tom....that's the neat thing. Norm's wheels have the brakes molded in and those brakes match perfectly to the '29A backing plates. The only mod I did was BareMetal the front brakes. The rear backing plates came with the Halibrand Quick Change I used, and those also matched Norm's wheels perfectly. ( For those that are wondering, these wheels are not compatible with the finned Buick brake drums in the '29A kit, so those parts when in the parts box.) Needless to say, I'll be looking forward to your Build #2. Best...TIM .

Mike....I believe that intake is a Man-A-Fre or something very similar to it. The Cragar intake is similar but forming an exact rectangle with the four inlets, as opposed to the slightly offset alignment of the Man-A-Fre. In the pictures above, the Cragar intake (from the Revell Outlaw kit) is shown above on the Rat-Rot style maroon '27 Phaeton pictured above. Here's another picture showing the Caddy engine with the Cragar intake.. .Hope that helps..Cheers....TIM

Hey Tim...great to hear from you. I have never had an issue like that with Testors Gloss Black before, and I've been using it for...oh...about 50 years now. But the quality started slipping IMHO well over 20 years ago, and this is a new low. There were no weather or moisture issues here yesterday. I stripped some of the parts, found some unpainted duplicates of others elsewhere, and went searching in my paint archives this morning. Found an old can of Testors Gloss Black (probably 10-15 years based on the label), and it worked fine. The new can from yesterday when in the trash. Thanks for the comments....and very best regards! TIM

Here's the update...floorpan added to chassis and body ready to go... .. ...and body added to floorboard/chassis... Since these pictures were taken....firewall added, grille and grille shell/radiator ready to go...steering box/column ready to add...windshield and frame ready to go....and just prepped the side exhausts for some Alclad II but I got a very, very bad coat of Testors Gloss Black as undercoat for Alclad II Chrome (it came of the can and left countless bubbles on the parts being painted)....decades ago Testors Gloss Black was what my buddy Steve Perry likes to call a certain "Trophy in a Can" - flawless, super deep gloss, dried hard overnight, superb results every time. The last couple decades it's been all downhill for me...now I don't go near the stuff for gloss black paint, unless I need an enamel basecoat for Alclad II. This is really unsatisfactory.....not sure what to do. Oh well, I could always paint the headers and exhaust extensions flat black....:) Regardless....hopefully it will be finished in another couple of days....a bit of a surprise planned for the grille/grille shell.....TIM

Tom...if you make it to the NNL Nats, be sure to put this one on the NNL "Traditional Hot Rods" Cult Theme table, along the back wall just to the left of the magazine photo booths...we can have a Revell '29 Ford Roadster kit comparo among the Cult Theme models displayed....looking really sharp, and very interested in seeing the final completed model. Best Regards.TIM

Thanks Andy...needless to say...I share your view on that rumored Coupe version of the kit tool. As cool as this Roadster kit is, my guess is that a Coupe version would be even cooler, if that is possible. Cheers...TIM

Dennis...that engine is actually the Monogram/Revell '59 Caddy engine, with the Revell Parts Pack accessories. Of all the early OHV Caddy engines in scale, in my view that's the best engine block to start with. Glad you like that Man-A-Fre style intake....I previously built another Caddy hot rod engine that used the 4x2 intake from the Outlaw kit which is similar but not with the staggered layout. Both versions, I think, are very cool... Thanks for the info on the source Norm used for the wheels and tires. I have an original '34 Ford kit (well, at least I have the box art, can't recall if there's anything inside the box), so I'll try to look that up. I've been a fan of those '41 Lincoln Continental tires for a while now,...I used them in this quick and dirty Rod style buildup I did eight or so years ago IIRC> Cheers...TIM

Here's a SuperStock style '69 'cuda that I built using Bill Coulter's original c. 1980 Scale Auto Enthusiast article on his Sox and Martin and Dodge Dart Super Stockers. I remember working on it around 1985 but I didn't finish it then. I don't recall when I did finish it, probably sometime in the early-mid 1990's. It was mostly a out-of-the-box build other than the wheels and tires which came from the mid 1980's Monogram ProStock kits. I've always liked this model; it would be great to see it eventually reissued as a propoer 1968 vintage SuperStock, although I don't really expect that will ever happen. Cheers...TIM.. (five more images here....) ...

Tom....I am intrigued with your two-tone layout....almost imparts a "coach built" feel to the car. And like you, I like the Tamiya Coral Blue.... When I built mine, I painted the bottom of those interior side panel tabs so that they matched the color of the bottom of my floorboard, and so they visually "disappeared" in the final result. I also like those tabs as they don't leave any room for mistakes in locating the body to the /floorboard during final assembly. On my paint detailing of ribbed parts, I simply wiped away the paint from the ribbed parts with a soft cloth or my fingers....I found no need to use lacquer thinner or the like. My paint was thinned about 50% or so....which probably helped with the final result. I had no problem with the chrome rubbing off with this approach... Very much like you, it seems a number of us are having great fun with this kit. It was certainly a "clear the bench" build for me...in fact it's become more like an obsession, with at least six variations either under construction or under glass. Can't wait to see how yours finishes up. Best.... TIM

Richard....that is looking spectacular, I must say! Without going back through this thread, can you adivse what kit or source you used for the wheels (which look terrific) as well as the roll bar? Those are both great touches that perfectly cement the era/theme of your build into the early 1960's. And needless to say, I appreciate what you did with the ribbed parts on the powertrain! The whole color scheme is original and fits together very well. Cheers...TIM .